Keep Nets

[Graham Nash]

i have not done any fishing for about 15 years and thinking of starting again, what is the best keep net to buy ?

 

[sam vimes]

I'd suggest that you check that your chosen venues allow keepnets before you splash out. Plenty of venues ban keepnets altogether these days, others only allow them in matches.

 

[xenon]

what do you want a keep net for?

 

[jon atkinson]

I bought a new keep net when I got back into fishing about 4 years ago - it's still in the packet, buried in the garage somewhere mg:. Unless you're into match fishing, I'm not sure that I'd bother...

 

[thecrow]

what do you want a keep net for?

To put the beer in on a summers day

 

[Philip]

I have nothing against keep nets if you use them sensibly, my problem is more to do with having to lug them about and the drying of them after.

...its bad enough having to deal with just a landing net...another 3 meters of stinking wet net to deal with is not my idea of fun.

 

[binka]

Drennan still do decent looking 'carp' and 'silver fish' keepnets, I'm not sure what you'd go for as an all rounder.

Fortunately I bought a Super Specialist keepnet a few years ago before Drennan discontinued them in favour of logo emblazoned tubes but I don't think I've ever used it, I see they still do a Super Specialist but it's labelled a 'carp' keepnet and I don't think it's the same as the one I've got.

 

[mikench]

I bought one and have never used it and cannot do so on most of my waters! Are Dave, Steve and Neil into fishing?:wh

 

[markcw]

Graham, if you do want one check the Garbolino one out at Angling Direct, I think they are around £25,
another one is Dinsmores for similar price, I bought the Drennan "carp" and "silvers" nets, I don't know why because they do not have pull through handles on the lower rings unlike my Maver nets, If you want one for rivers buy one
with a wider mesh to allow the water to flow through, also don't peg one out unless all the rings are underwater especially on a hot day, If you don't fish matches I wouldn't bother with one.Like Philip said its lugging them around and drying them later, oh and the £25-30 for a stink bag to put them in to keep car dry and smell free.

 

[steve2]

Why do clubs and waters ban keep nets? Please don't say it's for fish welfare if they allow them to be used in matches why can't I use one.

 

[thecrow]

Why do clubs and waters ban keep nets? Please don't say it's for fish welfare if they allow them to be used in matches why can't I use one.

Possibly because of incorrect use in the past or retaining fish in them for far to long, I don't see anything wrong with them so long as they are in a decent depth of water and are dried out completely before being used on another water.

 

[markcw]

Some commercials charge an extra pound to use a keepnet, yet allow them in matches with a 50lb limit in each net,
my club will not allow keepnets for pleasure fishing yet will allow them for matches, but will allow livebait containers
if targeting predators, to me that is saying you cant use a 10' keepnet but you can put a certain amount of small fish in a small container, so what is the problem of using a keepnet, I cant see any as long as they are used sensibly .

 

[hantstench]

I don't think keep nets have a part to play in modern angling. Thank goodness many specimen venues ban them and sacks etc.

 

[thecrow]

How far does an angler go when it comes to retaining fish? is 10 minutes ok 20/30 I see no difference in using a keepnet so long as its used correctly and fish are not crammed into them, I have seen fish float by belly up when retention would have avoided it, sacks used correctly are a method of allowing fish to recover also.

 

[bracket]

The majority of the matches I fished, over a 50+ year period, were between 3 and 5 hours, the odd away matches were sometimes 6 hours, but that was to ensure that when you were all back on the coach the Pub was open. I consider those duration's not an unreasonable period to retain shoal fish in their natural environment, within a large, correctly staked out keep net. I feel fish are subject to far more damage and stress being kept out of the water, whilst anglers fanny about taking photographs. Pete.

 

[maggot_dangler]

I have nothing against keep nets if you use them sensibly, my problem is more to do with having to lug them about and the drying of them after.

...its bad enough having to deal with just a landing net...another 3 meters of stinking wet net to deal with is not my idea of fun.

Yep and when you live in a flat with NO outside storage to dry things in it an even bigger P I T A they either stink the flat out to dry or the car and during the week i spend about even time in both


PG ...

 

[David Gane]

Keep nets are totally outdated (unless you are a match angler, of course).

I haven't used one once since 1970. Take a photo if you wish, then let it go.

 

[nottskev]

I don’t mind keepnets, properly used, and I’ve nothing against match fishing, even though I no longer do it.

But when anglers (or fisheries) say keepnets should only be used in matches, I want to ask this:
If nets are so bad for fish, why does adding gambling to the equation change the moral or ethical issue? I’m not sure, if keepnets are so bad for fish, why keeping them while competing for money is automatically more defensible than simply keeping them while you fish because you prefer that.

If the answer is “Because you need nets for a match”, the question comes back: why should having a match over-rule the constraints applied to pleasure anglers with keepnets? When you’re fishing a match, the anglers’ wishes or the event are more important than the fish, and when pleasure-fishing, vice versa? Contradictory, no?

I think there are times when they suit, times when they don't, and fishery owners and clubs are entitled to discretion. Beyond that, I wouldn't want to generalise.

 

[103841]

My club have put a keepnet ban in place on all waters due to a local outbreak of KHV last year. The club supplies nets for river matches.

 

[steve2]

There are some that would say keep nets are outdated and have no place in modern fish welfare angling they do now. You know the type feather beds, antiseptic creams and kissing the fish better. I would say be careful because where does angling fit in with modern fish and animal welfare.